Is there a limit on the number of children one may have?

Question

[ar]مَا الْحُكْمُ فِي التَّقْدِيرِ الَّذِي قُدِّرَ مِنْ جَانِبِ النِّكَاحِ لِتَكَاثُرِ الْأَوْلَادِ، وَقُدِّرَ فِي ثَلَاثَةٍ أَمْ فِي أَقَلَّ مِنْهُ؟ هَلْ يَجُوزُ لَنَا هَكَذَا التَّقْدِيرُ؟[/ar] “What is the ruling on the limit that has been set on the part of marriage (?) for the multiplication of children — has it been fixed at three or at fewer? Is such a limitation permissible for us?”

Answer

[ar]الِاكْتِفَاءُ فِي الْأَوْلَادِ بِهَذَا الْعَدَدِ وَحَصْرُهَا فِيهِ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَلِيلٌ فِي الشَّرْعِ، بَلِ الدَّلِيلُ عَلَى خِلَافِهِ: عَنْ مَعْقِلِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ ﵁ قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: تَزَوَّجُوا الْوَدُودَ الْوَلُودَ فَإِنِّي مُكَاثِرٌ بِكُمُ الْأُمَمَ (رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ، مِشْكَاةٌ ص ٢٦٧)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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